I Promise
by impatient14
Summary: Takes place after the events of 'Prayer for the Dying.' Stefan struggles with his feelings as Caroline pulls away from him. Italics aren't working for this story...so there is some inner monologue of Stefan and Caroline that may not be apparent as inner monologue. Trying to fix it!
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

Stefan couldnt figure out what bothered him more. The fact that Caroline had been ignorning his calls all day, or the idea that her ignoring him was consuming his every thought.

I thought we were back. I thought we had overcome what a horrible friend i had been to her over the summer. I have been there for her every step of the way the last few weeks, with everything going on with her mom. She was fine yesterday at the hospital...

Stefan thought over the events of yesterday. After Liz' came back to life, Caroline was is such good spirits. Even so, he made sure to get the coffee machine working again. Anything to make her smile.

When Liz asked him to look after Caroline, Stefan didnt hesitate to reassure her. There was never any doubt that he would be there for Caroline, shes his best friend. He cares for her and wants nothing more than to be with her, helping her though this difficult time.

He had left the hospital that day after Caroline had returned with her mom's coffee. He wanted to give them some time to themselves, and he had plans to make sure there was enough food at their house for when Liz could come home. If Liz got to come home.

But then He was unable to reach Caroline that evening when he called her. He wanted to check up on her, make sure there wasnt anything he could do for her and her mom. He tried calling three times before he got worried and headed over to the hospital.

When he arrived he found Liz sleeping sounding in the hospital bed and Caroline asleep on the chair in the corner.

Her head was slumped to the side slightly and she wore a slight grimace on her face. Stefan stared at her sleeping.

That can't be comfortable. Why didnt she sleep on the couch? Its just across the room...

Without thinking more about it Stefan walked over to Caroline. He crouched down and placed his hand on hers.

"Caroline." He whispered softly.

She stirred slightly but continued to sleep.

She must be exhausted.

He then placed one arm around her head and the other under her knees. He lifted her effortlessly and pulled her close to his chest.

"Stefan?" she barely had her eyes open. "What are you-"

"Shhh, Its okay. Youll be more comfortable on the couch." He looked down into her now closing eyes.

SHe had her eyebrows furrowed as if unhappy about something.

Probably thinking about her mom.

He could smell her hair as he walked across the room to the couch. She smelled like wildflowers and sunshine.

When he was at the edge of the couch he hesitated before laying her down. He wanted another moment wrapped up in the scent of her.

When he laid her down gently, her hair fell over her face. Stefan reached out his hand to brush it away. He paused there, with the back of his fingers resting on her cheek.

_She has so much to go through right now. If only i could take some of it away from her._

He sat there, crouched beside her, keeping his eyes locked on the soft screamy skin of her face.

She opened her eyes for just a moment and looked back at him.

"You dont have to be here." Her voice shook. "Im fine."

She sounded so sad, broken.

"I want to be here. Go back to sleep, everythings going to be okay."

Stefan kept his hand on her face, softly stroking the length of her cheek bone with the tips of his fingers.

"Stefan?"

The voice came from behind him. Liz was awake.

He rose then, and gave Caroline one last look before turning to Liz.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" Stefa took a step towards the hospital bed.

"Im okay. A little thirsty but-"

Stefan crossed the room then to the table with the water pitcher and glass. He poured her a glass and walked back to the side of her bed to hand it to her.

"THank you."

She took the water and drank quickly.

"Youre welcome."

"No- stefan. I mean thank you for everything. THank you for being there for my daughter. She really needs the support."

"Of course Liz, theres no where else i'd rather be."

Liz took another sip of her water. THen stared over at Caroline. A soft smile grazed her lips and then she turned back to stefan.

"I'll go- Let you guys get some more sleep."

Stefan started to head towards the door but stopped short when he saw caroline on the couch. He took in her long legs and golden hair and was unable to suppress the soft sigh that made it out of his mouth.

"Stefan?"

He turned around to meet Liz' gaze.

"Tell her."

Tell her what?

"Hmm?" He let himself steal another glance at caroline.

"Tell Caroline how you feel." Liz spoke softly. As if Caroline wouldnt be able to hear if she was pretending to sleep. "She could use something to take her mind off of me right now."

How i feel? I thought i had made that pretty obvious lately...I mean we hadnt really talked about it but i thought we were on the same page...

"Liz-"

"Its okay Stefan. Just think about it."

"Okay." He paused and headed for the door again.

"Goodnight Liz," He said, as he shut the door behind him.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

_I promise._

The phrase repeated in Carolines mind. Over and over. She thought about the sound of Stefans voice as he said it. She thought about the way her mother had asked him to take care of her.

She thought about all the ways she felt like a complete idiot.

_Of course he is being there for me becuase he feels bad. Hes my friend, but he has been so supportive lately i thought there had been more going on. How stupid. Will i ever learn?_

_He doesnt want to be WITH me. He just feels obligated. Guilty. He pities me. How could he deny my mothers dying request?_

She felt the buzzing of her phone in her pocket. She looked down to see it was Stefan. Again.

_Well i dont need his pity._

She hit ignore and continued packing up party supplies for Bonnies birthday celebration.

Her phone started buzzing again.

"UGH!"

_Fine._

She pulled her phone out of her pocket and answered the phone.

"What is it Stefan?"

There was a long pause before she heard Stefans voice.

"Caroline, hey..." He trailed off, he sounded uneasy.

"Stefan, ive got a lot to do to prepare for the party so unless this is 911 i have to go now."

"Caroline wait- whats going on? Why have you been dogding my calls?"

"I havent- Im busy. I dont need you to check on me either. Im fine. Youre off the hook okay?" Her voice was heated and full of irritation.

"Caroline..."Stefan stopped talking for a moment.

Caroline strummed her fingers on the table in front of her.

"Seriously Stefan. Im fine. I have to go."

She hung up then.

_I dont want his pity calls and his obligated check-ins._

_I really thought we had something more going on. _

_When he grabbed my hand on my porch, my heart leaped into my throat. I felt what i thought was an amazing energy between us. The way he was looking at me...i could have sworn..._

_No. Just stop. You cant obsess over this anymore. Its not going to happen Caroline._

She pulled the rest of the party supplies down from the hall closet and put them in the box on her kitchen table.

They were throwing Bonnie a party, trying to show her how much they love and miss her. Damon suggested they video tape it that way she would see how much they missed her when she gets back. Caroline was shocked how much Damon seemed to be worried about Bonnie. The last few weeks he had been studying the spell the Bennett witches used to create the world he and bonnie had spent all summer.. He was holding on to hope that they would find a way to get Bonnie home.

Caroline grabbed the box and walked out of her house.

"Damon- just let it go." Stefan rolled his eyes and tried to leave the living room at the Salvatore boarding house.

"Listen Stefan- i dont see the problem here. You said before you just saw her as a friend. Now shes freezing you out again. Puts a nail in the coffin of the whole will-they- wont-they thing. Elena owes me twenty dollars."

"But it doesnt make any sense Damon. We were fine yesterday...in fact...things between Caroline and I have kind of...changed."

Damons eyebrows rose as he walked over to decantor sitting on the side table.

"Well brother, for lack of a better word...Duh. Anyone with two eyes and half a brain cell could tell that you two have gotten pretty _not friendly_ in the last few weeks. Ive just been waiting for you to admit it."

He poured two glasses of bourbon and handed Stefan one.

"Wait- youre telling me you knew that i had feelings for Caroline?"

"Stefan- come on- i'm your brother. Ive just wondered how long it would take you to realize it."

"Well it doesnt change the fact that Caroline is upset about something, and i feel like it definitely involves me."

Stefan sat down on the couch and racked his brain for where he went wrong.

She was happy the day he brought her coffee. She smiled at him and he remembered how much he wanted to touch her as she sat next to her mother in the hospital bed.

Yesterday at the hospital she seemed upset but she was half asleep, and he just assumed it was about her mother.

_Maybe it wasnt._

_What happened that upset her so much?_

Elena walked in the door then, carrying balloons and a cake.

"Hey guys, Caroline here yet?"

_Thats right, Caroline would be here soon. I get to see her today. Whatever it is, ill explain. Things will be okay._

"No- shes not. I assume shes yelling at a florist right now for including carnations in the flower arrangement."

Damon crossed the room and placed a kiss on Elenas cheek. She smiled up at him and then walked over to the table to put the cake down. She began tying the ballons to a few votives already placed on the table.

"She should be here any minute, she had just left her house when i last talked to her." Elena continued to tie balloons until they were all placed around the room.

Stefans felt butterflies in his stomach.

_Caroline will be here soon._

He took a big sip of his bourbon and stood up. He wasnt sure what he was going to do, but he felt like he needed to stand. He suddenly felt very nervous. He knew he was going to have to talk to Caroline when she got here, figure out what was going on with her. With them.

He knew they may never be friends again after today.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

"Well if shes stable how come i cant bring her home tonight?"

Caroline half listened to the doctor on the other end of the phone. She knew she would just compell him tonight and she would bring her mother home.

"Fine, whatever."

She hung up the phone and sighed.

She was sitting in her car in the Salvatores driveway. She stared at herself in the rearview mirror.

_Breathe, just breathe Caroline. This is just another day. A party for Bonnie. I am Caroline Forbes. I am strong and I dont need Stefan to be into me for me to be fullfilled as a person. You can do this._

She took a deep breath and opened the car door. She grabbed the box of party supplies from the trunk.

Caroline walked confidently up to the Salvatores front door and walked inside.

Stefan was the first person she saw as she walked past the staircase. He was pouring a glass of bourbon and staring out the window. His shirt hugged his body in ways that made Caroline shut her eyes forcibly.

"Caroline, Hey! Did you find Mrs. Cuddles?" Elena walked towards her and took the box out of her hands.

Stefan spun around at the sound of Carolines name and found her eyes with his. He smiled so effortlessly that Caroline felt weak.

She regretting letting go of the box instantly. Now she was left with no barrier between her and Stefan.

She needs to be busy.

"Caroline, hey." Stefan walked towards her. "Do you want something to drink?"

"Uh- yes. Sure. Thank you." She tried to sound breezy but was pretty sure it came out strained.

Stefan picked up on her tone and frowned slightly. He walked over to the bourbon and poured Caroline a glass.

_Dont linger, Caroline. Find something to do._

She pulled the glass from Stefans hand but not before her fingers grazed his. Electricity shot up her hand and through her whole body.

She avoided his eyes as she brought the glass to her lips. She emptied her glass in one sip and put her glass down on the table in front of her. She turned away from Stefan and started towards the table with the cake.

"Caroline-" Stefan took her hand in his and turned her back towards him. "Can we talk?"

She was startled by Stefans touch, which made it hard for her to answer right away. She steadied her breath before speaking.

"Stefan, theres a lot to do...so maybe we should just get to work."

It took every ounce of emotional strength she had to pull her hand from his and walk away.

_I cant let him get to me. He doesnt know what hes doing to me, its not his fault ive totally fallen for him and now cant stand to be around him. I know he only wants hang out with me out of pity._

She pulled Mrs Cuddles out of the box Elena had put on the floor and put her next to the cake. She couldnt decide if the flowers on the cake looked crooked and it irked her that Elena would bring it home like that.

She stood there, crossing her arms and obsessing over the letter spacing in Happy Birthday Bonnie that was written on the cake.

When Stefan stepped behind her, her whole body tensed up. His chest was not even an inch away from her back and she could feel his breath on her neck.

"Something wrong?" She looked over her shoulder to see him staring into her eyes. She turned away quickly but didnt move forward.

"The cake. Its not right. The B in Bonnie is way bigger than the other letters and the flowers are lopsided. We cant have a cake that isnt perfect. This is for Bonnie. Do you have a knife? Ill see if i can fix it."

Stefan stared at the cake. He knew that no matter what he said in that moment, he would still end up getting her that knife.

"Sure, ill be right back." When he spoke he put his hand on her back. She couldnt help but lean into his hand a little bit. As his hand dropped when he walked away, she felt her chest drop with it.

_Why is he doing this to me? All the hand holding, long stares, and close contact. I cant take this anymore..._

Stefan was back with the knife very quickly. She turned towards him to take it but he didnt hold it out to her. Instead he placed it on the table behind her, leaning close to her body as he reached around her.

"Caroline, before you start fixing the cake...will you take a walk with me?"

She took in a sharp breath at the surprising question

_A walk? Why? Whatever it is, it cant be something i want to hear...unless..._

"Stefan theres a lot to do. I dont think-"

He stopped her by taking her hand.

"Please." He stared into her eyes and she felt her resolve slip away.

"Okay," Caroline said as she returned his gaze.

She assumed Stefan would drop her hand as they walked towards the back door.

He didnt.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Caroline and Stefan walked hand in hand through the woods behind the Salvatore house.

She kept thinking he would drop her hand at some point, but he kept her hand in his.

Stefan kept glancing down at their interwoven fingers.

_Her hand feels so soft. Everytime i touch her im surprised by how much faster my heart beats._

Caroline refused to speak first. She had no idea why he brought her out here and it had her head swimming.

"Caroline, i know you are going through a lot right now. I just want you to know that im here for you. I wasnt here for you this summer, and I want to be here for you now."

"Yes Stefan I know. I know you feel guilty and you want to make it up to me. But you already have, really...im not mad at you about this summer. Im not."

She stepped carefully around the dead branches that lined the ground.

"Then why have you been avoiding me. You've been acting like ive done something to upset you."

Caroline stopped short. She pulled her hand out of Stefans and crossed her arms.

"You know what Stefan? I really appreciate you looking out for me- or whatver it is you ar doing but i just...i dont need you to. Im fine. Im a big girl. I can handle things myself. I dont need your pity."

Stefan could feel her anger rising, but her pain was bubbling over.

"Pity? Caroline. I dont pity you."

"Okay fine, You dont pity me. I dont need you to feel obligated to hang out with me. Ill be fine. Of course im upset about my mom, and of course ill have a really hard time when she dies. But i dont need you to babysit me because my mom asked you to."

Alarm bells rang in Stefans head.

_She heard my conversation with Liz. She thinks im only spending time with her because her mother asked me to. She doesnt realize..._

"Caroline. I dont spend time with you because i feel guilty or because your mother asked me to." He stepped towards her. putting his hand on her arm. "Im with you, right now, because i want to be. Because i care about you and i want to be here for you."

Her eyes searched his for the truth. The corners of her mouth tipped downwards until a small cry escaped her lips.

"Stefan..I...Im sorry. I just assumed..." Tears strolled down her face and Stefan instincually stepped towards her and pulled her into his arms.

"Hey, Shhh...its okay. everything is going to be okay." Stefan stroked her hair as he soothed her.

"Stefan, thank you for being my friend. Im sorry I-" Her voice was muffled by Stefan's jacket but she continued to speak, angling her head downwards so that her mouth was almost touching Stefans neck. "...Im so worried about my mom, I just dont know what ill do when shes gone. She cant leave me, Stefan...she cant."

"I know, Care- I know." Stefan rubbed her back with one hand while resting his other on Carolines head. "But you are stronger than you realize. You can do this. And i will be with you every step of the way. You have me Caroline, im not going anywhere."

Caroline belived him. She could hear it in his voice. She could feel it in his touch. He does care about her. But how much?

_Could he possibly..._

She pulled back then, wanting nothing more than to look at his face. As she pulled away from him, her mouth found its way to his cheek. She kissed him softly and then pulled back.

She couldnt bring herself to look him in the eye yet.

"Thank you," she said, then she lifted her gaze to him.

He was standing in front of her with his lips parted, his eyes wide. A smile played on the corner of his mouth.

When her body left his arms, and her lips left his cheek, Stefan came alive. It was as if a switch was flipped. He wanted nothing more than to bring her back to him and never let her go.

_If i kiss her, will it ruin everything?_

He didnt think anymore about the question before closing the distance between them, puttting his hands on either side of her face and bringing his mouth within inches of hers. He kept his eyes on hers. Her eyes were bright with surprise and when he glanced down to her lips they were curled up into a smile. He felt the corner of his mouth pull up as he brought his lips to hers.

Their mouths moved slowly. Kissing him, Caroline felt like the entire earth was sprinnig around them. Stefan dropped his hands to her waist and pulled her against him. As their kiss deepened he squeezed her hips, and Caroline put her hands around his neck.

"Hey- you two...We are waiting to start the camera...ya wanna knock off the side show?"

Damon was standing at the edge of the woods with Mrs. Cuddles in his hands and a smirk on his face.

Stefan and Caroline pulled apart to look at Damon, then looked back into each others eyes. There was no first kiss awkwardness, they smiled at eachother, knowing it was right.

_Why did Damon have to be such a dick? Im not ready to let her go..._

Caroline turned to head back towards the house but Stefan grabbed her hand to bring her back to him.

"Wait." He brought his face to hers again for another soft kiss. It didnt last long, but they both could feel the intensity. When he broke the kiss, he kept his hands in hers.

"I wasnt ready to let you go." Stefan smiled at her and she could feel her body ache for his.

Caroline smiled at him and kept her hand in his as she led them back to the house to start Bonnie's birthday party.

Stefan wasnt sure what exactly he felt for Caroline when he came back to mystic falls this summer.

He was sure he felt something more than friendship the moment she walked away from him in her dorm after Friendsgiving.

The first time he thought about kissing her was the night he held her hand on her front porch.

And now, after their first kiss, Stefan Salvatore was no longer confused about his feelings for Caroline Forbes.

_I am completely in love with her._

** The End.**


End file.
